Evaluation of e-health (Seha) application: a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Background The Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia is expanding the country’s telemedicine services by using advanced technology in health services. In doing so, an e-health application (app), Seha, was introduced in 2018 that allows individuals to have face-to-face visual medical consultations with their doctors on their smartphones. Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of the app in improving healthcare delivery by ensuring patient satisfaction with the care given, increasing access to care, and improving efficiency in the healthcare system. Methods A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the perceptions of users of the Seha app and non-users who continued with traditional health services. The data were collected using an online survey via Google Forms between June 2020 and September 2020. Independent t tests and chi-square (χ2) tests were conducted to answer the research questions. Results There was a significant difference between users and non-users in terms of ease of access to health services (t = − 9.38, p < 0.05), with app users having a higher mean score (4.19 ± 0.91) than non-users (3.41 ± 1.00); satisfaction with health services (t = − 6.33, p < 0.05), with users having a higher mean score (3.96 ± 0.91) than non-users (3.45 ± 0.94); and efficiency (only one visit needed for treatment) (t = − 3.20, p < 0.05), with users having a higher mean score (3.71 ± 0.93) than non-users (3.45 ± 0.93). There were significant associations between the use of the Seha app and age (χ2 = 8.79, p < 0.05), gender (χ2 = 22.19, p < 0.05), region (χ2 = 19.74, p < 0.05), and occupation (χ2 = 22.05, p < 0.05). There were significant relationships between the three items (on access, satisfaction, and efficiency) and experiencing technical issues (t = 4.47, t = 8.11, and t = 3.24, respectively, p < 0.05), with users who faced technical problems having significantly lower mean scores for all three items. Conclusion This study provided evidence that the Seha app improved the delivery of healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Users of the app had a better health experience in terms of their perceived ease of access to healthcare services; their satisfaction with healthcare services; and the efficiency of the system, measured by the number of required doctor visits. Other factors that appeared to influence the use of the app included age, gender, usual source of care, and technical difficulties.

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Involvement of Community Pharmacists in Public Health Services in Asir Region, Saudi Arabia: A Cross‐sectional Study

International Journal of Clinical Practice ◽

10.1111/ijcp.14940 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mona Almanasef ◽

Dalia Almaghaslah ◽

Geetha Kandasamy ◽

Rajalakshimi Vasudevan ◽

Sadia Batool

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Services ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Public Health Services ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Asir Region

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Dentogingival Smile Analysis of Young Adults of Al Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Dentistry ◽

10.1155/2020/8855681 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Minu P. Mohan ◽

Rahaf A. AlOlayan ◽

Mohammad A. AlSweed

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Lower Lip ◽

Restorative Treatment ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Photo Editing

Objectives. The present study aims to analyse the smiling components among young adults within Al Qassim region by evaluating typical smile parameters. Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 324 female and male participants between 18 and 35 years, within Al Qassim Province of Saudi Arabia. The dentogingival macro-aesthetic elements of the smile, the parallelism between the incisal curve and lower lip line, midline, and buccal corridors were determined by using Canon Rebel t7i (Canon, Melville, NY, USA) and evaluated by photo editing software Adobe Photoshop CC2019. The data were analysed using a chi-square test and Spearman’s correlation test for nonparametric data. Results. 62.5% of young adults had no buccal corridors. The nonparallel smile was found in 53.2% of young adults. A high smile line was observed in 33% of participants. 59.3% of young adults lacked a coinciding dental and facial midline. There was a statistically significant difference in the parallelism of the incisal curve and lower lip line as well as in the position of the upper lip line across genders ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. Understanding macro-aesthetic elements of teeth and their interrelation with the surrounding oral structures can be a guide in creating natural and aesthetically pleasing restorative treatment.

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The Influence of Gender on the Choice of Radiology as a Specialty Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study

Interactive Journal of Medical Research ◽

10.2196/14666 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. e14666 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahmed H Abduljabbar ◽

Sara F Alnajjar ◽

Hussein Alshamrani ◽

Lujain F Bashamakh ◽

Hisham Z Alshehri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Specialty Choice ◽

Female Students ◽

University Hospital ◽

Male Students ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference

Background Medical undergraduates are the future doctors of the country. Therefore, determining how medical students choose their areas of specialty is essential to obtain a balanced distribution of physicians among all specialties. Although gender is a significant factor that affects specialty choice, the factors underlying gender differences in radiology are not fully elucidated. Objective This study examined the factors that attracted medical students to and discouraged them from selecting diagnostic radiology and analyzed whether these factors differed between female and male medical students. Methods This cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, used an electronic questionnaire sent to medical students from all medical years during February 2018. Subgroup analyses for gender and radiology interest were performed using the chi-square test and Cramér’s V test. Results In total, 539 students (276 women; 263 men) responded. The most common factor preventing students from choosing radiology as a career was the lack of direct patient contact, which deterred approximately 47% who decided against considering this specialty. Negative perceptions by other physicians (P<.001), lack of acknowledgment by patients (P=.004), and lack of structured radiology rotations (P=.007) dissuaded significantly more male students than female students. Among those interested in radiology, more female students were attracted by job flexibility (P=.01), while more male students were attracted by focused patient interactions with minimal paperwork (P<.001). Conclusions No significant difference was found between the genders in terms of considering radiology as a specialty. Misconception plays a central role in students’ judgment regarding radiology. Hence, early exposure to radiology, assuming a new teaching method, and using a curriculum that supports the active participation of students in a radiology rotation are needed to overcome this misconception.

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Knowledge and Disposal Practice of Leftover and Expired Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Study from Nursing and Pharmacy Students’ Perspectives

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17062068 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 2068 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Adel Bashatah ◽

Syed Wajid

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Pharmacy Students ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Expiry Date ◽

King Saud University ◽

Health Care Students ◽

Significant Difference

The objective of the present study was to investigate the knowledge and practices concerning unused and expired medicine among pharmacy and nursing students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study design was used. The study used a validated paper-based, self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, Version 24. The response rate was 70.4% (n = 352). The results indicated that 57.4% of pharmacy students and 53.4% of nursing students check the expiry date of medicine before procuring, and 37.6% of pharmacy students and 52.5% of nursing students keep unused medicine until it expires. With regard to disposal, 78.9% of pharmacy students and 80.5% of nursing students reported discarding expired medicine in household garbage or flushing it down a sink or toilet. Only a small percentage returns leftover medicine to a medical store. There was a statistically significant difference between pharmacy and nursing students in regard to checking the expiry date of medicine before procuring (p = 0.01), and keeping unused medicine until it expires (p = 0.03). The study concluded that the majority of respondents dispose of medicine unsafely. The findings suggest that creating awareness regarding proper medicine disposal procedures among university health care students in Saudi Arabia is needed.

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Willingness to Pay for a National Health Insurance (NHI) in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-941643/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abeer Alharbi

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Health Insurance ◽

Willingness To Pay ◽

National Health Insurance ◽

National Health ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Maximum Amount ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Public health services in Saudi Arabia are provided free of charge to its citizens at the point of use. Recently, however, the government has realized that this model is unsustainable in the long run. Therefore, Saudi decision-makers are seeking to have a sustainable health system through the introduction of a contributory National Health Insurance that require making regular financial contributions from its members. Objective This study aims to explore the people’s willingness to pay for a National Health Insurance system in Saudi Arabia. The study also aims to understand the factors affecting their willingness or unwillingness to pay NHI, such as, their demographic and socio-economic characteristics, the type of their usual health care provider, and their satisfaction with the current healthcare services.Methods A cross-sectional study design with Contingent Valuation (CV) technique was used to measure the value of National Health Insurance based on an individual’s willingness to pay. The data were collected from 475 participants using an online survey via Google Forms between March 2021 and April 2021. Frequencies, logistic regression, and linear regression, were conducted to answer the research questions.Results The percentage of individuals who was willing to pay for NHI was higher than those who were not willing to pay (62.9%) vs (37.1%). There was a significant association between the type of usual healthcare provider and the likelihood of paying for NHI (OR CI = 0.20 to 0.51, p< 0.05=0.00). Also, there was a significant association between satisfaction with healthcare services and the likelihood of paying for NHI (OR CI = 0.02 to 0.31, p< 0.05=0.00). The median amount of money the people were willing to pay as a monthly contribution for NHI was 100 SAR (26.5 USD) with the average being 152 SAR (40 USD). There was a significant association between age and the maximum amount the participants were willing to pay (ß=-0.15,t=-2.55,p<0.05=0.01). In addition, the results show a significant relationship between income and the maximum amount of money people were willing to pay (ß=-0.25,t=3.81,p<0.05=0.001).Conclusion This study provided some evidence that most of the population of Saudi Arabia were willing to pay for NHI if implemented. The factors that appeared to influence the willingness to pay and the amount of monthly payment included the type of usual source of care, satisfaction with current public services, age, and income.

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Health-Seeking Behaviors and its Determinants: A Facility-Based Cross-Sectional Study in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

International Journal of Health Policy and Management ◽

10.15171/ijhpm.2019.106 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Gulifeiya Abuduxike ◽

Özen Aşut ◽

Songül Acar Vaizoğlu ◽

Sanda Cali

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Health Problems ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public And Private ◽

Health Seeking Behaviors ◽

Northern Cyprus

Background: Understanding health-seeking behaviors and determining factors help governments to adequately allocate and manage existing health resources. The aim of the study was to examine the health-seeking behaviors of people in using public and private health facilities and to assess the factors that influence healthcare utilization in Northern Cyprus. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2 polyclinics among 507 people using a structured intervieweradministered questionnaire. Health-seeking behaviors were measured using four indicators including routine medical check-ups, preferences of healthcare facilities, admission while having health problems, and refusal of health services while ill. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to explore factors influencing the use of health services. Results: About 77.3% of the participants reported to have visited health centers while they had any health problems. More than half (51.7%) of them had a routine medical check-up during the previous year, while 12.2% of them had refused to seek healthcare when they felt ill during the last five years. Of all, 39.1% of them reported preferring private health services. Current smokers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.92, 95% CI: 1.17-3.14), having chronic diseases (AOR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.95-2.16), having poor perceptions on health (AOR=2.33; 95% CI: 1.563.48), and spending less on health during the last three months (AOR=2.08, 95% CI: 1.43- 3.01) had about twice the odds of having routine checkups. Higher education (AOR=1.87, 95% CI: 1.38-2.55) was shown to be a positive predictor for the health-seeking behaviors, whereas having self-care problems (AOR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.08-0.40) and having a moderate-income (AOR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.57-0.81) were inversely associated with seeking healthcare. Conclusion: The utilization of public and private health sectors revealed evident disparities in the socio-economic characteristics of participants. The health-seeking behaviors were determined by need factors including chronic disease status and having poor health perception and also by enabling factors such as education, income, insurance status and ability to pay by oneself. These findings highlight the need for further nationwide studies and provide evidence for specific strategies to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities in the use of healthcare services.

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The Influence of Gender on the Choice of Radiology as a Specialty Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.14666 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed H Abduljabbar ◽

Sara F Alnajjar ◽

Hussein Alshamrani ◽

Lujain F Bashamakh ◽

Hisham Z Alshehri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Specialty Choice ◽

Female Students ◽

University Hospital ◽

Male Students ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference

BACKGROUND Medical undergraduates are the future doctors of the country. Therefore, determining how medical students choose their areas of specialty is essential to obtain a balanced distribution of physicians among all specialties. Although gender is a significant factor that affects specialty choice, the factors underlying gender differences in radiology are not fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE This study examined the factors that attracted medical students to and discouraged them from selecting diagnostic radiology and analyzed whether these factors differed between female and male medical students. METHODS This cross-sectional study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, used an electronic questionnaire sent to medical students from all medical years during February 2018. Subgroup analyses for gender and radiology interest were performed using the chi-square test and Cramér’s V test. RESULTS In total, 539 students (276 women; 263 men) responded. The most common factor preventing students from choosing radiology as a career was the lack of direct patient contact, which deterred approximately 47% who decided against considering this specialty. Negative perceptions by other physicians (P<.001), lack of acknowledgment by patients (P=.004), and lack of structured radiology rotations (P=.007) dissuaded significantly more male students than female students. Among those interested in radiology, more female students were attracted by job flexibility (P=.01), while more male students were attracted by focused patient interactions with minimal paperwork (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS No significant difference was found between the genders in terms of considering radiology as a specialty. Misconception plays a central role in students’ judgment regarding radiology. Hence, early exposure to radiology, assuming a new teaching method, and using a curriculum that supports the active participation of students in a radiology rotation are needed to overcome this misconception.

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